After a long wait, sophomore middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith earned his first start Saturday in LSU’s 30-27 victory against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Beckwith picked up his second consecutive six-tackle performance against the Gators, giving him more tackles in the last two games than he had all last season.
The performance further solidified his role as starter. Former starting middle linebacker senior D.J. Welter has posted back-to-back games recording only one assisted tackle.
“I think Kendell’s stepping up and answering the call,” junior linebacker Lamar Louis said. “I think he’s going to bring more speed and possibly even more physicality, and that’s two pluses.”
Even with solid back-to-back performances, Beckwith said he still has room for improvement.
“If I had to grade myself, I’d probably give myself a low B,” Beckwith said. “I had some checks I could have made and some stops I should have made, but overall I did pretty well.”
LSU coach Les Miles echoed Louis, saying Beckwith has some “natural advantages” against Welter. But Beckwith’s athleticism could not keep him from playing his first 18 games as a Tiger in a backup role.
The middle linebacker position demands more than pure athleticism, as it is responsible for receiving defensive calls from the sideline, relaying it to the defense and aligning up the defensive line.
Beckwith had trouble transitioning to LSU’s defensive scheme early on, causing him to struggle with the leadership responsibilities that come with the middle linebacker position.
He not only struggled with learning a new defense but also with adapting to a new position, as LSU originally recruited him as a defensive end.
These factors resulted in Beckwith playing a limited role, appearing in 12 games and recording just 11 tackles.
Even now as he becomes more comfortable with the playbook, Beckwith runs into new obstacles every week. Last week, it was a loud, hostile Florida crowd.
“It was pretty difficult running and screaming at the same time,” Beckwith said. “After all that screaming, my throat was hurting. [Florida’s] fans are pretty loud, so I did a lot of screaming all night.”
But with time and help from Welter, Beckwith has finally begun to grasp the Tigers’ large playbook and feel comfortable in the position.
Beckwith said Welter played a large role in his improvement since arriving at LSU, saying Welter has always acted as a mentor for the young linebacker.
“He’s just there when I need him,” Beckwith said. “If I forget something or need help knowing exactly how to play something, he’ll be there to help me. He’ll tell me to do this or do that or that this will happen. He’ll break down the whole play for me.”
The results of Beckwith’s hard work are evident in his vast improvement in 2014. Midway through the season, he has almost tripled his total tackles in 2013, picking up 18 assisted and 14 unassisted tackles.
He has also tallied two tackles for loss, a sack and an interception returned for 29 yards.
LSU junior cornerback Jalen Collins said Beckwith’s increased production came as no surprise because of the work he put in during the offseason.
“Over the course of the spring and summer, I’ve seen a lot of improvement with him,” Collins said. “Just learning the defense and being more vocal out there with checks and getting everybody where they need to be. I feel like he’s doing a great job.”
After the game against Florida, Beckwith said he feels confident in his knowledge of the defense, and now he’s just trying to perfect it.
But it’s obstacles like these that help him improve game after game. Beckwith said he’s happy the coaches have put their trust in him and are allowing him to contribute to the team in a higher capacity.
“I just accept it as it comes,” Beckwith said. “It just makes me feel good and want to keep continuing to get better.”
You can reach Tyler Nunez on Twitter @Nunez_TDR.